Sen. Ted Cruz Releases Birth Certificate

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz released his birth certificate to The Dallas Morning News — a pre-emptive strike that could help head off criticism that the Republican is ineligible to run for president.

Cruz, a darling of the Tea Party movement, has been visiting early presidential states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, which has sparked speculation that he’s interested in a White House bid.

The Constitution says only a “natural born” citizen can be president. The general rule is that anyone born overseas to an American parent is eligible to run.

Cruz’s birth certificate shows he was born in Calgary, Canada, in 1970 to an American-born mother and, as such, is a U.S. citizen. But The Dallas Morning News reports Cruz also became a citizen of Canada “the moment he was born” and would need to renounce Canadian citizenship, according to Canadian authorities and legal experts.